How Does the 2025 Colorado Rapids Season End?

This article was written by friend of Burgundy Wave and longtime Colorado Rapids STM Eric Stinson. He’s written for us before.

Editorial – What a time to be a Colorado Rapids supporter! Five games to go before the playoffs start. The Burgundy Boys are fighting for their playoff lives. Chris Armas is most likely coaching for his Rapids future. The club just completed the biggest sale and purchase in team history…within days of each other. We are truly living in different times. Or are we? The Rapids are currently sitting in 8th place in the Western Conference with 36 points out of 29 matches played. Houston, Dallas and Real Salt Lake all have games in hand; however the Rapids must play all three teams, which will most likely determine our playoff fate.

For me, this season can be defined in one word: inconsistent. For every game like the 3-0 thumping of top-tier Vancouver Whitecaps and an entertaining 3-2 win against San Diego, we have also seen epic collapses like the 3-3 come from ahead draw in New England where the Rapids squander a three-goal lead in the second half. Or the 3-0 drubbings by Portland Timbers and LAFC where we were never really in the games.

And to add to the ulcers of supporters, the past two matches against LA Galaxy and Sporting Kansas City. Two winnable matches where we did not play anywhere close to our potential, where silly mistakes and bad decisions led to two thumpings in must-win matches. Now, we are fighting for our playoff lives, and probably for more than that with respect to Armas.

Recently there have been public pronouncements from Rapids President Pádraig Smith and Head Coach Chris Armas that discuss the current state of the team that all Rapids faithful should be taking notice. At the recent fan forum, Smith made several statements that would give any fan base optimism that their club is about to turn the corner after a lengthy rebuild.

The Rapids are not going to spend stupid amounts of money on player transfer fees. Smith made that very clear during the forum. He also said about our spending habits, “In a salary cap environment, you need to get good efficient return from those players”, referring to the players that are brought in by the club. Smith also wants us to be a team that develops key young players and sells them for a profit. “We want to be a team that develops the top players.” This makes sense from a global and business perspective. Smith also commented, “The key thing is, make sure you’re competitive while you have those players and to build a structure and a process and a system that allows you to remain competitive.”

One of the things the Rapids have struggled with since the mid-2000s is the very thing Smith opined several years ago with “The Rapids Way” in the Denver Post, the essence is the Rapids being a perennial playoff team that looks to win another MLS Cup. Every team that has won MLS Cup since the Rapids in 2010 has finished top four or better. This was pointed out to Smith during the Fan Forum, which he said he didn’t necessarily agree. Further, in Smith’s tenure here since 2015, the Rapids average finishing position in the Western Conference is 8th, which is ironically where we sit now.

“The Rapids Way” also states that the team is to be a perennial playoff team. The Rapids have qualified for the playoffs six times since 2010, while only qualifying four times since 2015 when Smith took over. Hard to understand where Smith finds disagreement. He also argues we have been in the playoffs three of the last five seasons, with 2 CONCACAF Champions Cup appearances. From a five-year perspective, this is accurate. But we have also finished higher than fifth once, in 2021. Further, it ignores the fact that we were 10th and 14th in 2022 and 2023, after which he parted ways with Robin Fraser and brought in Armas. Not to mention the largest fan protest in club history occurred (not involving airplane banners).

Taking all of this into consideration is the coaching carousel that has existed in Smith’s tenure. Pádraig has overseen four head coaches since he took over in 2015. He ran Pablo Mastroeni off in 2017, a year removed from one of the best seasons in team history in 2016. He hired Anthony Hudson, who goes down as one of the worst hirings in team history (and certainly, one of the most controversial with his “bottom players” comments after losing to Atlanta United). He hired Fraser who guided the Rapids to its best Western Conference finish in 2021 before massive regressions in 2022 and 2023 sank his stewardship. Finally bringing on Armas to change the culture of the team. Under Armas, the Rapids came out of the basement of the conference to make the playoffs last year and now are fighting for a similar spot this season.

Armas is in the last year of a two-year contract he signed in late 2023. He has become a fan favorite for his community outreach and his positive disposition. His willingness to embrace the youth movement that Smith champions while helping players exceed their own expectations, especially in the cases of Oliver Larraz, Calvin Harris, and Darren Yapi, who have all seen ascensions in their careers. But for every success Armas experienced, there have been massive setbacks.

Kévin Cabral became the biggest Designated Player bust in team history, ironically experienced some success last year with Armas before submarining his career this season, being waived by the team in July. Sam Vines, who helped the Rapids to their 2021 success, returned from Belgium to tremendous regression, has not returned to his past form. Cole Bassett, who last year was the team’s engine, suffered numerous injuries and hasn’t been the same since Leagues Cup 2024. His performance has been like the team: inconsistent.

The Rapids seem poised to make more big moves in the offseason to compliment the addition of Paxten Aaronson, and as Smith noted, “there are some pieces still to add.” That’s fine and dandy, but what of Armas? There has been a noticeable gap between the two sides this season. Smith said during the Fan Forum that they are in negotiations and hope to come to an agreement. Countering that after the last loss to Sporting Kansas City, Armas seemed frustrated with the pace, saying that there have been discussions, but this is taking longer than anticipated. He also wants to be here and hopes to get it finalized soon.

From my perspective, Smith cannot afford to let Armas walk out the door. Smith has stated that Armas has changed the culture of the Rapids, and he is very pleased with this. Armas has stated he loves it here, loves the team, the club, and the fans. So why is this such a heavy lift?

The short answer is that it’s complicated. Smith gave a two-year contract to Armas, certainly mindful of his previous MLS head coaching in Toronto FC, where the Canadian government would not allow all MLS teams back into Canada, and TFC could not host home games, subsequently sacked after 11 games. Also his Premier League assistant coach stints with a Manchester United squad reeling from poor form and the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, finishing sixth that season, and a Leeds United that got relegated.

Armas took the job looking for a place where he could build a struggling club with a new culture and some spending. Both found each other and have experienced success. No doubt Armas wants a longer-term contract for more money, which is understandable in contract renegotiations. Smith is looking at the trajectory of the club and deciding if investing in Armas will generate the results he seeks. But if he lets Armas walk, he will then have to find the fifth head coach in his 11-years with the club. This does not bode well for any potential coach being considered. 

It is unlikely any current MLS coach would want to come to Colorado, seeing the inconsistency of the team and instability of the head coaching role, regardless of upside. Nor are there very many current or former coaches within the league that would see this job as a logical or progressive move for the same reasons. This would leave MLS Next head coaches and MLS assistant coaches as the primary frontrunners for the job, as Smith wants someone who knows the league. Rating a lower score are current or former managers from Europe or South America, due to their lack of league knowledge and familiarity with different club structures. Then there are the outliers, such as Anthony Hudson. This rates an even lower score since he badly burned the Rapids and Smith would be gun-shy to bring in Hudson 2.0.

Bottom line is, Smith needs Armas and Armas needs Smith. The marriage, while it may be more of a shotgun wedding than a blossoming romance, is one that all sides can flourish and take the club from mediocrity to a top four finish in the West, and begin truly realizing the club’s potential beyond more than “The Rapids Way”.

Thank you for reading Burgundy Wave. Support us via our Patreon starting at $5/month. We’re always looking for new talent. Let us know if you’re interested in covering Colorado Soccer.